One Small Change
by Beula
Summary: In the original series, Severus could only ever see James in Harry. But what if something had been different? AU. fem!Harry. Snape mentors the child of Lily and James. And it is not like what he was expecting.
1. Of Snakes and Roses

**Summary:** In the original series, Severus could only ever see James in Harry. But what if something had been different? AU. fem!Harry. Snape mentors Alice, the daughter of Lily and James. And it is not like what he was expecting.

 **Author's Note:** I do not own Harry Potter or any of Rowling's original characters. I'm very excited to write this. After reading so many fanfics for so many years, I wanted to try to write one myself.

I couldn't help but wonder what a realistic fem!harry story would be. I thought Petunia would probably be quite envious and bitter towards the daughter of Lily Potter and thus strive to make her life miserable.

I've no doubt there are spelling and grammar errors and I might muddle up details from the books - as beloved as they are to me, it has been a while since I've given them a good read. I am also nervous. I keep finding new things to edit, new parts of the chapter I could flesh out. But if I kept this up, I'd never finish it or publish it.

I hope you enjoy. Reviews are appreciated.

 **Chapter one: Of Snakes and Roses**

Snape had really wanted to hate the child of Lily and James.

He stared down at the letter.

 _Ms. Alice Lily Potter_

 _The Cupboard under the Stairs_

 _4 Privet Drive_

 _Little Whinging_

 _Surrey_

If Albus had just let him be, he probably would never have had to deal with the child outside of class.

Instead, Albus wanted him to go deliver the child's Hogwarts letter personally as it was customary to deliver it on the child's birthday. And today was July 31st.

No, today was not going to be a good day. He walked away from the letter to go work on a potion's experiment, trying to pretend that it didn't exist.

Had he not been so distracted by his frustration, he might have wondered what the daughter of Lily was doing in the cupboard under the stairs.

-x-

Petunia Dursley prided herself on being average and ordinary in all respects. She prided herself on being _sensible_.

Her house was quaint and had no distinguishing qualities. It looked rather like all the other houses in the neighborhood and the inside was just as predictable. Plain furniture. A neither-here-nor-there colour on the walls; perhaps it was that pale pink colour that seemed to decorate the walls of so many other houses in the neighborhood those days.

She loved to gossip with the neighbors and brag about her life. She loved to brag about her husband who had a respectable, ordinary sort of job. Most of all, she loved to brag about her son Dudley who could only ever be delightful in her eyes.

Yes, she was respectable, and proud of it - unlike _Lily_.

Lily had been the perfect golden child. She had brilliant red hair the colour of glowing embers and striking green eyes. She was indisputably beautiful, and her parents had been thrilled to learn she could use magic.

Petunia, on the other hand, had plain brown eyes and honey blonde hair that looked nice in its own right. She earned good enough marks in school. Perhaps if she had not spent her life comparing herself so much to her sister she would have realized she was remarkable in her own right.

But to her it seemed everybody only ever talked about Lily and how _wonderful_ she was.

The seed of resentment that had planted itself in her heart only grew over the years. It was a deep seated bitterness that was only put to rest when Lily died.

That is, until Halloween, when she opened the door to find Lily's baby, Alice.

Alice was the only decidedly _un_ -ordinary part of her life. It was a part Petunia liked to keep hidden. If someone were to stroll into 4 Privet drive, they would only see pictures of two happy parents and a rather large young boy with plain blonde hair. No one would guess a fourth person lived in the house.

And perhaps what made matters worse was how Alice looked ever so much like her mother.

She didn't have quite the fiery red hair her mum had, but she did have a pretty head of auburn hair. Her eyes were unmistakably Lily's - eyes the colour of emeralds and moss. And just like her mother, strange things seemed to happen around Alice. Lights would flicker, electronic devices would behave strangely, and other various unexplainable things would happen.

Aunt Petunia would never forget the day she came out into the yard only to find Alice communicating to a snake.

Petunia had locked Alice in the cupboard for a week for that. If the neighbors had seen-!

She pushed those thoughts aside. It was easy keeping the child busy, and for the most part out of sight and out of mind. Come the child's eighteenth birthday, they'd be rid of her completely.

That would be the last of Lily gone.

Or so Petunia thought.

-x-

In a small cramped space, a far-too skinny girl was curled up in a cupboard. She recalled the events that brought this punishment of solitary confinement upon her.

" _Aunt Petunia, it wasn't me, I swear it - "_

" _\- I won't hear any more of this. Stay in your cupboard. This freakishness has got to stop!"_

 _But Alice didn't understand. It wasn't her fault Aunt Petunia's hair had turned orange..._

Alice tried to puzzle through the mystery. She didn't know how it happened. She just remembered feeling intense dread as her aunt had advanced upon her to cut her hair.

For some reason, Aunt Petunia liked to keep Alice's hair short. This most recent time, Alice hadn't wanted her aunt to cut it. This was because last time her aunt had cut it, it had turned out horribly.

Her aunt had cut her hair very short but left her bangs all lopsided and long - presumably to hide the thin lightning bolt scar on her forehead that had been there as long as she could remember. Mysteriously, when she woke up the next morning, her hair looked as though nothing had happened the day prior.

Unfortunately, that only made her aunt angrier.

Strange things like this always seemed to happen to Alice. She could remember one time she was changing in her cupboard when she caught sight of a shadow coming underneath the door that wasn't hers.

When she had peeked outside through the crack under the door, she saw the shoes of her cousin Dudley, who was trying to peer in on her through the crack between the door and the wall. She had felt terrified and ashamed. Then all of a sudden the lightbulb in her cupboard flickered before it sputtered out. It seemed strange that it would have burnt out - it had just recently been replaced.

She had huddled up on her bed and soon her cousin had lost interest as he couldn't see anything.

Another time, her Uncle Vernon had made disparaging comments about her parents as she was serving him tea. The teacup he was holding suddenly broke into thousands of little pieces, and hot tea had spilled all over his lap.

Alice curled up more tightly into a ball. _My stomach hurts,_ she thought. She hadn't had food in three days.

The sound of her cupboard door unlocking put a stop to her thoughts.

Aunt Petunia opened the door and shoved a plate towards her. "Eat," she said sharply. "Then weed the garden."

Alice eagerly took the plate and looked at its contents - a slice of bread with some peanut butter. _Oh well. Better than nothing._ She did like peanut butter _. Happy birthday to me._ She scarfed down the bread and quickly went outside to do some weeding in the noonday sun.

Weeding was somewhat calming to Alice. She liked working with plants. She had an affinity for it. She treated them as if they had their own personalities. She gently began removing crabgrass from the flower beds. It was hardy stuff. She admired its resilience. "Sorry," she said to it, "But if I let you stay, you'll choke my roses."

And she truly did love the roses. Aunt Petunia liked to brag to the neighbors all the time about the perfect rose bushes in their front yard, but Alice knew they grew because of her hard work. She was proud of them.. So long as she knew the truth, she was happy.

" _Have the mean ones made you come out to do work again, young one?"_

A soft voice startled Alice from her work. She looked beside her and saw a thin olive green grass snake, perhaps a foot long. She smiled. " _Ruth,"_ she replied. " _I have not seen you in a while."_

" _I have come out every day from the rose bush looking for you, young one. You were not there."_ Ruth began to entwine herself around Alice's wrist. She hissed contentedly. " _Ah. You are warm."_

Alice smiled at the snake getting comfortable. " _I was in my room."_

" _I wish your people were small, like crickets. Then I could eat them."_ Ruth flicked out her tongue.

Alice laughed.

She was not scared of snakes. She had met Ruth some time ago while tending to the garden. Ruth was just a common grass snake, and she was very gentle. Of course, Alice had to be careful not to get caught by her relatives.

 _Do other people have conversations with snakes?_ Alice wondered. She figured perhaps snakes _could_ always talk to people if they wanted to but were simply too shy.

Snakes, after all, she mused, were misunderstood creatures. Rather like herself, she thought. She reflected on her unusual garden companion.

Ruth's name was fitting.

It meant " _friend"_.

-x-

Snape traveled the muggle way to Little Whinging, and took great care to dress in muggle-appropriate style clothing (despite how much he loathed it - he much preferred robes). He wore a crisp black button-down shirt tucked into nice black pants. He looked somewhat intimidating as he strode down Privet Drive with purpose.

He was struck with the address on the letter now that he'd had time to contemplate it.

The bit that perplexed him was how it was addressed to the Cupboard under the Stairs. What in Merlin's name was the child doing in there?

It was an awful neighborhood, in his opinion. All the houses were nondescript and near identical.

Then as came up to 4 Privet Drive, he saw her.

Sitting in the garden, laughing, was Lily, just as he remembered her. But no, it couldn't be - this girl was far too young, and Lily was long dead.

But with the sunlight coming down on her hair, for a moment it had looked...

He shook himself out of it. He stood at the edge of the yard.

He studied the girl. She must've been tending to the garden, he thought. She was talking to something -

 _Is that a snake?_

He raised his eyebrows.

She was having a conversation with a snake that was in the garden. That must be Alice, he reasoned, unless there was someone else at 4 Privet Drive who was magical. He doubted not.

But really? _The child of Lily and James? A Parselmouth?_

He shoved that thought aside for the moment.

The child - _Alice -_ looked underweight and her clothes looked old and tattered. She was wearing a stained and faded pink dress that did not look at all like it fit her. It swallowed her small frame. The uneasy feeling that he had gotten from the address on the letter intensified.

The girl had not yet seen him.

He cleared his throat.

The girl startled and jumped up to her feet to face him. Her eyes were wide. He noted that when she jumped up, the snake must have darted into the grass. It was nowhere to be seen.

 _Merlin, her eyes._ Severus felt utterly disarmed. All previous plans of putting up some facade and pretending to treat this child no differently than any other melted away.

He fought to keep his composure. "Am I right to believe this is the residence of Miss Alice Potter?"

She looked at him, puzzled. "Yes, sir. Is there something I can do for you? Or..." She trailed off, uncertain.

There it was. The confirmation that this young girl was the child of Lily.

Severus shook his head. "There is no need. I came to deliver this letter to you, as it is your eleventh birthday." He held out the yellowed envelope.

The girl looked at it as though it were some treasure. She took it hesitantly. "A letter for me?" she asked, looking up at him. "Are you sure, Mister, er..."

"Severus Snape, professor at Hogwarts - you may call me Professor Snape," he said. "Is there a reason you seem so surprised?"

She continued looking at the letter in her hands. "I don't get letters," she said softly.

He stored that piece of information in his mind. "Today you do," he said simply.

She did not seem spoiled or loud or attention seeking like her father, he thought. On the contrary, she was timid and polite.

Severus watched as she read the letter. Her face grew more puzzled. "Is this a joke, Professor? Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?"

"Did your Aunt and Uncle ever tell you about Hogwarts, Miss Potter?" he asked. When she shook her head, he continued. "It is a school where young witches and wizards can learn how to control their magic - and it is probably the best in Britain."

"Magic," Alice repeated. She looked very uncertain now. "There's no such thing as magic, is there?"

Now that, Severus thought, was concerning.

"Magic is very real, Miss Potter," he said. He considered for a moment what to do. He took out his wand and turned her dress a bright sky blue.

She jumped a bit, clearly surprised. She fingered the fabric, then looked at him in wonder. "That was amazing, sir."

He waved it off. "A simple colour-change charm. You'll be able to do that and more when you graduate Hogwarts," he said.

Alice bit her lip, clearly troubled about something. She looked down at her feet. "I think the letter is wrong, sir. I'm not magic. I can't be. I've never heard of it before now."

Severus raised his eyebrows. "You talking to your snake friend is proof that you can, in fact, use magic. You are a witch, Miss Potter," he said.

"You - you saw?" she asked shakily. She looked as though she expected to be punished.

"You are not in any trouble," he said, and she visibly relaxed. "The ability to talk to speak Parseltongue - to talk to snakes - is something only a witch or a wizard can have. It is uncommon even amongst wizards."

She looked thoughtful. "I thought maybe snakes were just shy," she said. Then a smile grew on her face. "I thought it was weird people didn't like them much. My aunt caught me talking to one once. She was very mad. She made me go to my cup-" her eyes flicked up to Severus "- my room."

He noticed her word change at the last second but chose not to comment on it. He did not want her to withdraw from him. "Snakes are very misunderstood creatures," he said.

Alice smiled. "I think so too."

He decided to take the opportunity to use a bit of legilimency so he could get an idea of the child's home life.

He was disgusted by what he saw.

He caught images in her mind of her aunt slapping her hard across the face for having broken a plate... her uncle ordering her around like his personal servant all the while spewing out insults about her and her parents... her whale of a cousin and his friends chasing her and grabbing her by the hair, calling her a "freak"...

Severus wished he could break something. Petunia ought to have known better, he thought darkly. _Keeping a child in a cupboard? Merlin, Petunia._

"I think perhaps I ought to visit your aunt and uncle," he said aloud.

Alice instantly blanched.

"Sir, please don't. They don't like anyone to talk about magic. They'll get angry," she said. "I'll - I'll get in trouble."

Severus interrupted. "They are only muggles, Miss Potter. I will be fine and I will make sure that you do not receive any undeserved punishment for this," he said.

"Muggles?" Alice repeated, confused.

"People who cannot use magic," he explained. "Now, if you excuse me..." He strode up to the front door and knocked.

The look on Petunia's face when she opened the door was priceless. She gaped like a fish and her eyes darted from Severus to Alice who was standing just behind him at his side.

"Y - you -" she stuttered. Severus eyed her. She could have been pretty if she were not so uptight and stiff. Her honey blonde hair was coiled up tightly into a bun on the top of her head. Her voice was high pitched and shrill.

Severus put his hand on the door and stepped inside the house. Alice slipped in as well. Petunia stumbled backwards.

"Yes, _me_ , Petunia. Long time no see," he drawled. He shut the door behind him.

He stared at Petunia, who looked as though she was trying to blend into the drab pink walls of the house. "I wanted to ask you why it is that you make _this_ child - ," he said, gesturing to Alice who was just behind him, "- _Lily's_ child, sleep in a cupboard of all things?"

Her face looked as though she'd just eaten something unpleasant. "We do not make that freak -" she started.

"Do not call her that," Severus interrupted, his voice steely. Petunia closed her mouth. "Do not even try to lie to me. Her Hogwarts letter is addressed to Miss Potter, _the Cupboard under the Stairs_ ," he hissed. He looked to Alice. "Do you like sleeping in a cupboard?" he asked. Her eyes darted between Severus and Petunia. She shook her head.

"Do you see, _Tuney_? She doesn't like it. No child would. How many rooms are in this house? Surely you have enough space?" he growled. "You know Lily would have taken in your son as her own and treated him like family -"

He was interrupted by a stinging pain in his cheek. Petunia was glaring at him, her face red and her hand raised. "Do not talk to me about _her_ ," she spat. "She's caused me nothing but pain and now I'm burdened with her freak daughter -"

She paled as Severus drew his wand and pointed it at her chest. "I told you not to call her that," he said. He turned back to Alice. "I think it is time we leave," he said. Alice nodded, looking dazed.

He looked back at Petunia who was still back against the wall, breathing heavily. "We will discuss this more later, _Tuney_ ," he said and then shut the door.

-x-

 _I'm a witch. My mother and father were magical. They loved me. They died for me. I'm... famous._

Alice's mind kept mulling over what she had learned after Professor Snape had taken her to a little pub named The Leaky Cauldron.

They had traveled there very uncomfortably. Professor Snape called in "apparition". She was lucky she hadn't eaten any breakfast that morning. If she had, she might have thrown it all up.

The Leaky Cauldron would probably be described by anyone as "dingy".

Alice loved it.

It felt magical. And when she stepped inside she was full of a room of people who dressed strangely and talked strangely and were _just like her._

She had been confused when everyone there suddenly rushed at her, pointing at her scar and saying, "It's Alice Potter! It's the Girl-Who-Lived!"

The Professor had made some loud banging sound with his wand and ordered everybody to let him and Miss Potter eat in peace.

Then he had explained to her that her parents hadn't died in a car accident. That they were murdered by Voldemort, a Dark Wizard. And for some reason, the Killing Curse which was supposed to be unbeatable rebounded back at him when he tried to kill her.

And now she was back in her garden, tending her roses. Not because she had been ordered to by her Aunt Petunia, but because she wanted to.

" _The dark man left,"_ Ruth hissed. " _I was hoping he would take you away. I do not like it here. It is not good for you, young one."_

Alice gently picked her dearest friend up. " _He said he will be back tomorrow. He told me my relatives would not bother me. He talked to them when we came back."_

Ruth hissed contentedly. " _Take me with you when he does. It sounds exciting."_

Alice agreed.

She could not wait for tomorrow.

-x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x- -x-

 **A/N:** Thanks so much for taking the time to read this. I am excited be writing again. If this story somehow brings you any amount of enjoyment, it would mean the world if you'd leave a review and say so. But if you don't get to doing so, thank you anyways, and I hope you know I treasure the fact that someone would choose to read something I've cobbled together.


	2. Making Friends

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter is Rowling's, not mine. I'm sorry this chapter is so late. I could probably have gotten it out earlier had I been more disciplined. But I also didn't anticipate how many details I'd have to look up and create for this part of the story. I hope you enjoy it. Leave a review and tell me what you think of it.

I had loads of fun imagining what wizarding fashion would look like. Rowling said the wizarding world was still stuck in the 17th century. I used creative license and gave it elements from the Middle Ages as well as later centuries. But I still think that the wizarding world should feel a bit frozen in time, given that they are an isolated small community. - Beula

 **Chapter two: Making Friends**

Albus Dumbledore was a very bright and powerful man. He knew this too. Unlike some people who would flaunt their intelligence and station in front of others, he did not. He was respected and well known for his wisdom. Important decisions would often fall on him to make. It was a great responsibility, and one he did not take lightly.

For the most part, the decisions he had made over the years were good.

But of course, he was not infallible or all-knowing.

Albus sat at his deck in his office, feeling the weight of his years and then some. _Perhaps I am getting too old for this_ , he thought.

Fawkes, who was perched next to him, seemed to sense his master's inner turmoil and sang a few encouraging notes.

"Thank you, Fawkes," he said. He reached out and stroked the phoenix's feathers.

He recalled the events that had disturbed him so.

 _He had been standing in his office, contemplating a request from his old friend Nicholas Flamel, when Severus had burst in through the door, clearly upset..._

"Severus," Albus said, shaken from his musings. "What has brought you here? I assume it is not for one of my lemon drops."

The potion master's stony facial expression did not change. "I expect you will want to sit down for this," he said.

Albus looked into his eyes and could sense that something serious had happened. He waved his wand and a tray laden with pot of tea, two tea cups, and a small plate of scones appeared on his desk.

The two sat down. Severus did not meet the headmaster's eyes. "Did you know," he said, his voice low, " - at least, please tell me you did not know - that Alice Potter was being abused? _Lily's_ child, Albus?"

Very serious, then, Albus thought.

Albus was normally a composed man. He had seen and experienced too much in his lifetime to be surprised.

The papers in the room now fluttered with magic.

Severus spoke with barely reigned in anger. "They order her around like a house elf. She does everything for them, Albus. She cooks for them, even though she only gets scraps - _if_ they are feeling gracious. She clearly suffers malnutrition."

He paused, letting this information sink in. "They make her sleep in a cupboard," he said with venom.

For a moment they were both silent, not acknowledging each other. Severus directed his anger at his cup of tea, staring at it with such a look of hate that Albus was surprised it did not spontaneously combust.

Albus studied the man sitting across him. Severus was a good man, but hardly let his good side be known to the people around him. He grew up in an environment that made trust near impossible for him. No, Severus did not trust people. Albus knew he might be the only person Severus trusted - and he did not take that privilege lightly.

Albus grew very grave, his blue eyes piercing through the potion master's facade. "You must think I knew about this and allowed it to happen," he said.

Severus looked up abruptly. "Did you?" he challenged. "Didn't you have someone watching her in that damn neighborhood?"

Albus found that honesty in situations such as this were crucial. "I did not think -" he began and felt his voice catch, thinking of the little girl Alice Potter growing up denied affection and a normal childhood.

He cleared his throat. "I did not think Petunia would treat her own flesh and blood so cruelly. She was the child's only living family. She was but a young girl when I met her, you know. I did not think..." He trailed off. "I am sorry, Severus." He also knew excuses in these situations were not useful.

There was another pause. Albus could tell his colleague, whose gaze had gone back to the tea cup, was feeling immensely frustrated at the situation and wanted answers. Wanted _justice_. It was only human.

"I fear I am not infallible, my friend," he said gently. This was a fact many seemed to forget."I stationed Arabella Figg there to check in on her and report back to me. She never reported anything that seemed suspicious."

Severus sank back into his chair. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "She can't stay there, Albus," he said finally.

Albus stood up and walked to the window. He looked out of it, his hands clasped behind his back.

He had hoped the blood wards would protect Alice from anyone intent upon harming her from the outside. Alas, he did not anticipate that the people who would cause the most harm would be the people she lived with.

"While at Hogwarts she will be safe. We will have to think about where she will stay during the summer holidays carefully," he said finally. "She needs to be somewhere with protection, but we do not have to decide this now. In fact, I think it best if we give Miss Potter time to settle into the wizarding world before we discuss the summer holidays with her."

Severus nodded slowly in agreement, coming out of his thoughts. Yes, while at Hogwarts she would be away from her relatives.

"Where will she stay between now and the start of school?" Severus asked.

"I could not give her to Molly, though she would gladly take Alice," Albus said thoughtfully. "The poor woman has a hard time enough taking care of all her children. Perhaps..." He trailed off, eyeing Severus.

Severus started getting a suspicious feeling. "Perhaps _what_ , headmaster? What idiotic plan have you concocted now?"

Albus allowed a smile. "Perhaps, dear boy, Alice could stay with you at your house."

Before Severus could protest, Albus continued. "It is, aside from Hogwarts, the most heavily warded place I can think of."

Yes, Severus knew this. He liked to keep his house warded. Being a former Death Eater and an unpopular teacher, he didn't have many friends.

Albus's blue eyes grew serious. "Most importantly, you have already developed good rapport with the girl. Yes... Yes, I think this is the best course of action."

"Surely someone else is better suited," Severus protested. Just the thought of becoming an eleven year old girl's caregiver was giving him a headache.

"Who would you suggest?" Albus asked. "Sirius is currently in Azkaban and Remus has not shown his face ever since James and Lily's death. Perhaps you think the Malfoys would be a better choice?"

For once the potions master was speechless. "I cannot take care of a... _child_ ," he said when he had recovered. "No child would want to stay with me at my house, Albus. It is no home." He thought of the drab place awaiting him in Cokeworth.

Albus just shook his head. "Dear boy, you know as well as I those are fabricated excuses covering up deeper truths. I am quite sure this is the best way of going about it." The look he sent Severus was one of finality.

 _Damn the old man,_ Severus thought. He could refuse. But as much as he hated to admit it, the old fool was right more often than he was wrong.

He wearily stood up. The conversation was over. "Of course," he said shortly. He turned around and exited the office.

After Severus left, Albus thought of all that would have to be done to heal Alice Potter.

* * *

Severus silently cursed Albus Dumbledore for what must have been the millionth time. He stood outside his dreary house. It was in a wretched state. It was connected to the house next to it, part of a whole row of other grey wretched homes.

The house had two levels, but the upstairs was merely an unused attic. The first floor had one bedroom, a small but serviceable potions lab, a small bathroom, and a tiny kitchen with a little breakfast nook. Everything in the house looked very worn and old.

Severus spent most of his time at Hogwarts, so he'd done little work on the place.

Though he _had_ gotten rid of all the photos of the relatives he hated.

That meant everybody except for his mother.

Still, the house was long overdue for a facelift.

 _I can't leave it like this if Lily's daughter will be living here._ He pondered what to do. Perhaps just giving it a fresher look...

He cast a Notice-Me-Not charm on himself. His house was already quite heavily warded. Most muggles would hardly notice the place or anything that went on. And if they did, after passing it they would find it hard to recall anything distinctive about it.

A simple colour change charm applied to the outside turned the face of his house Slytherin green. Yes, that would do quite nicely.

As for the inside, dull walls were lightened and adjusted until they looked more a very light blue-grey than the dreary dark colour it was previously.

A few cleaning charms and it looked a new place.

Severus thought of how to create a bedroom for Lily's daughter that would be acceptable.

He was struck with an idea.

 _Now, for the attic..._

Hopefully, she would approve of it. Severus got to work.

* * *

Light was pressing through Alice's eyelids, and she was starting to get that sinking feeling that she had slept in and forgotten to do her early morning chores.

She opened her eyes and felt disoriented. _This isn't my cupboard,_ she thought, puzzled.

Then she remembered.

She was a witch! She was supposed to go to Diagon Alley today with Professor Snape to get her school supplies.

And she was sleeping in the newly cleared out bedroom that had previously been Dudley's second bedroom after Severus had "talked" to her aunt and uncle.

 _No chores today_ , she thought, smiling.

She sat up in her bed and looked at her hands. It was strange to learn she was somehow magical.

She wondered what she could do with magic. The professor had turned her dress blue. It was now her favourite article of clothing. Before it had been a rather faded pink, and the blue he had changed it to was new and bright. She picked it out of the shabby wardrobe and put it on.

She could not stifle the light feeling of happiness welling up inside of her. She had her own _room_ now.

Once the junk had been cleared out of it, Aunt Petunia had set up a cheap metal bed frame with a spring mattress that had to be about a hundred years old and put an old black wardrobe with peeling paint against one of the walls. There was one window, which had very faded purple curtains hanging from them. To anyone else, the room would look absolutely dismal. To Alice, it was amazing. She'd never slept in a real _room_ before.

Once she was dressed, she tiptoed lightly down the stairs, not wanting to wake her relatives. When she reached the bottom of the stairs she looked carefully around.

Yes! The kitchen was empty and no one else was awake. The kitchen was all hers. And for once, she was going to make her own breakfast.

She opened the fridge and was overwhelmed with how many choices she had. Usually in the morning if she got anything, it was a piece of toast. The fridge was laden with bacon, eggs, fresh whole milk, cream, orange juice, marmalade, bread...

She stood still for a moment, then hesitantly took out the carton of eggs, bacon, and milk.

She smiled as she began making breakfast. In a flash she had bacon sizzling on a pan and she only took them out when they were just crispy. There were no egg shells in her scrambled eggs, which were cooked to perfection and seasoned with salt and pepper.

She set everything carefully out on the table and sat down. It was so strange, getting to eat what she had cooked. She took a bite of eggs and washed it down with a sip of cool milk.

It was delicious.

She found that she couldn't finish her milk. It was too rich. But she ate the rest and felt blissfully full.

At long last, at eight o'clock sharp, there was a knock at the door. Feeling nervousness and excitement flutter inside her, Alice opened the door.

Standing there stoically was Professor Snape, and this time he wasn't wearing muggle clothing. He was donning very smart black robes over a loose fitting linen white shirt tucked into slim black trousers. His shoes were all black leather. The effect of the look reminded Alice of some fashion from a previous era. But then the whole idea of witches and wizards felt old, too, she supposed.

She felt quite nervous now, realizing that she might look quite different than other witches and wizards.

Professor Snape interrupted her course of thoughts. "Are we going to stand here eating twiddling our thumbs, Miss Potter?" he asked. Had she known him better, she would have realized he was amused.

Alice looked down at her feet. "Sorry, Professor." She stepped out into the yard. She peered up at him hesitantly. "Professor, sir, may I bring Ruth with me? She wanted to come."

"Your snake friend? So long as you are careful not to be seen communicating with her. Some wizards feel parseltongue is Dark," Severus said after deliberation.

Before Alice could even ask why, Snape explained. "The ability to talk to snakes is an uncommon gift in the wizarding world. As fate would have it, the Dark Lord had this ability and often used it for ill rather than good. In the magical community it is perceived as a feared and Dark quality."

Alice thought that was rather strange that in a magical world, talking to snakes was somehow deemed feared or evil. But then she was used to people treating her as though she was different in some way that made her freakish. She nodded. "I'll be careful," she said. She bent down and hissed into the rosebushes. " _We are leaving, Ruth."_

The thin dark olive coloured snake slithered from out of the shadows of the bushes. " _It is too early. I have not basked in the warmth enough yet. But I will come for you, young one,"_ she hissed.

Alice smiled. " _Come wind yourself on my arm. I am warm."_ She held her right hand out low to the ground, and soon enough Ruth was winding herself around Alice's forearm where she settled happily.

Severus waved his wand and cast a silent Notice-Me-Not charm on the snake.

He paused. "Before we go, I want to bring something to your attention. The headmaster seems it a good idea - though mark my words, it is not - that you stay with me at my house in _Cokeworth -"_ he said this part with a sneer, " - for the remainder of the summer holidays. If you are foolish enough to want to spend the rest of your summer holidays with me, you may." He waited for the girl's response. He was no good at these sorts of conversations.

Alice did not trust herself to speak. A very fragile feeling of hope rooted itself in her heart. She merely nodded.

"Very well then," said the professor, not wanting to linger anymore on that subject. "We will go to Diagon Alley and then return here to gather your belongings. It is getting late. Are you ready to go?"

Alice nodded. Severus checked to make sure no muggles were around.

"Take my arm. We'll apparate directly there. Clothes first, I should think?"

Alice assented and soon the two (and the snake) were whisked into a flurry of spinning and colours and lights.

-x-

A kind looking round-faced boy tried to keep up with the fast pace of his grandmother as they strode through the busy streets of Diagon Alley.

"Gran, wait -" he said, getting pushed away from her by the crowd.

"Hurry up, Neville," the woman said sharpy. She grabbed behind her and tugged on the boy's wrist. He winced, but said nothing. The woman paused for a second and looked down at the boy critically. She sighed and shook her head. "Come on, hurry up," she repeated and kept walking briskly.

Neville knew what she was probably thinking. She was probably thinking about how he would never make Gryffindor, his father's house.

 _I'm sorry, Gran,_ the boy thought. He keenly felt how he was not as talented or smart as his parents. But he was looking forward to going to the school where they had met.

He only hoped he would find a place where he could belong.

-x-

Because of her relatives, Alice never did have much of a chance to explore the world that was outside Privet Drive.

And this. This was -

Well, it was _magical_.

The street they were on was cobblestone and it twisted and turned as far as Alice could see. All the shops were lined shoulder to shoulder on either side of it. Some of the shops were built peculiarly and Alice felt magic must be holding them up.

And the best part, in her opinion, was that everywhere witches and wizards bustled about, busy with their everyday lives. Once again she got the feeling that the shops and the people were a picture of some bygone era. It reminded her of something from Medieval times.

The men seemed to wear long billowing robes like Professor Snape, which was often worn over some loose fitting linen shirt and more fitted trousers. Some of them didn't even wear trousers with which Alice was familiar, but wore stockings.

The richer and more important they looked, the more decorative their garb seemed to be with frills on the sleeves of their dressy robes, complete with a fancy cravat tucked into a waistcoat.

The women seemed to floor-length gowns with bell-like flowy sleeves over which they wore colourful robes or cloaks.

Alice suddenly felt strange in her muggle-style clothing. She peered up nervously at Snape.

She saw he was studying her amusedly. "This time of year, Diagon Alley is swarmed by incoming First Years getting their school supplies. It is not unusual for muggleborn children - those who who come from muggle families - to shop here," he commented.

 _Can he read minds?_ She wouldn't be at all surprised. She smiled back at him nervously.

Soon the two were walking into some kind of clothing shop. The sign outside read "Twilfitt and Tattings".

Severus privately thought that normally he would just take First Years to Madam Malkin's. Twilfitt and Tattings was mostly known as a shop that catered to rich pureblood families.

Still, Severus thought, after years of living in nothing but cast offs, the girl _deserved_ a wardrobe full of the best quality clothing to make up for it. He refused to think that he was merely growing a soft spot for the child. He watched as she took in all of her surroundings. Her eyes were wide as she looked wonderingly at all the people and shops.

 _Lily also was full of such childlike wonder, even as she got older_ , he thought. He remembered people used to think her naive because of it. And in some ways, perhaps she had been. But then the War -

He closed that thought off quickly.

A pretty witch with sharp brown eyes greeted them just inside the shop and bowed to them. "Good morning, Sir and Madam," she said. "What services are you in need of today?"

Severus gestured to Alice. "The young lady requires her Hogwarts robes as well as a full new wardrobe for everyday wear," he said.

The witch's eyes widened as she laid eyes on who was next to him. She stared for a second and then seemed to realize what she was doing. She bowed again. "It is a pleasure to be of service to you, Lady Potter."

Alice felt awkward, but didn't know what to say. Her cheeks became a bit rosey and she looked down at the floor.

"Please follow me," the witch said and led them to where different sorts of robes were hanging on display.

There were silk robes and velvet robes and cotton and wool and more - all in differents styles and colours. Some were gossamer thin, made of a light floaty material.

Alice was asked to choose a few that she liked so they could be tailored to fit her.

Never having been asked to choose what she liked before, this was a monumental task.

In the end, she picked out three silken robes and one made in the floaty material that she found quite pretty for everyday wear. " _I like this cloth,"_ Ruth had hissed quietly when she was attempting to choose. " _It does not scratch against my scales."_

She also got a set of three plain, but good quality black robes in a feminine cut.

"Perhaps a warm cloak for winter," Severus suggested.

Soon enough, Alice was fitted with a scarlet cloak with a fur-lined hood ("It's a classic, every Lady needs one," the witch helping them had said). The inside of it felt soft and warm. Alice agreed it would be nice to have this when the weather turned colder.

She remembered many winters working outside until her fingers got stiff and cold, but Aunt Petunia didn't think it important to get her gloves. _She would come back inside hours later and plunge her hands painfully into warm water, tears pricking her eyes..._

Then there were the gowns.

The witch helping her and Severus had eyed Alice's muggle clothing distastefully and helped pick out six new simple gowns for Alice to wear underneath her robes.

 _Do witches always wear dresses?_ she wondered.

Severus put an end to the clothes shopping. "I think that will be all we require here today," he said.

It was then with a dreadful sort of sinking feeling that Alice remembered she had no money.

"Sir, I don't think I can pay -"

He cut her off. "I will be paying for your school things today, Miss Potter," he said. He imagined Lily looking as uncertain as the girl before him and was sickened. He would show the child she didn't always have to pay for what she needed.

He said in a lower voice to Alice alone, "Your mother was a good friend of mine when we were children. Think of it as a gift from a family friend. Not that you need it. The Potter family had quite the fortune. Once you are of age, you shall undoubtedly inherit it. Tomorrow if you like, we can visit Gringotts."

"Gringotts?" Alice said.

"A wizard bank," Severus explained. "It is run by goblins."

Alice's eyes grew wide. _Goblins are real!_ She tried to imagine what they were like. She also felt warm with the knowledge that her parents had left her something when they had died. And she'd never known! Aunt Petunia had always been complaining about what a burden she was to them, and now she had money of her own.

When they finished paying, a much finer looking Alice emerged from the store. She wore a simple flowing green gown. Her new silken black robes covered her shoulders prettily. The red in her auburn hair stood out against the green and her eyes were shining.

 _If Lily had been a Slytherin..._

Not that she ever could have. Lily was fearless. A Gryffindor, through and through.

The two continued to shop around Diagon Alley.

Severus made sure Alice got a wand holster ("A good witch always keeps her wand at the ready - remember that, Miss Potter-") and an emergency portkey ("Practical for when there are anti-apparition wards in place-") and on top of her school books, a few extra on potions ("It's always good to go above and beyond what is expected of you in your classes-") and ancient runes.

Now it was time for what Alice was looking forward to the most: a wand.

As they were walking towards Ollivander's, Alice grew curious. "Do witches and wizards need wands to do magic?" she asked.

Severus thought for a moment, recalling what he had learned from books on magical theory. "They do not, at least for simpler and less specific spells," he said. "Think of it like trying to paint with your fingers than with a brush or writing with your fingers in the sand instead of using pen and paper. A wand helps channel magic more precisely."

While she was contemplating this, she tripped on something - or someone - and fell down. Another person fell down with her.

"Oh dear." A sigh from above. "You'll have to forgive my godson Neville... really, he's such a pity."

"Are you all right?" a soft voice asked.

Alice blinked. The boy who had fallen with her had light blue eyes and strawberry blonde hair. He scrambled up quickly and offered her a hand. She took it.

"Stupid boy," said a short but imposing looking lady to Alice's right. She wore a red pointed hat that had fruit decorations all over it and carried a small red handbag. "You should look where you are going. Really, your father -" she sighed again. "- Well, it's too much to hope for, I suppose."

The boy's face burned red. He looked down at his shoes and didn't say a word.

Alice felt badly for him. "It's okay, truly. Nobody was hurt. My name is Alice Potter," she said to the boy gently and offered her hand. "What's yours?"

"Neville Longbottom," he said nervously. He shook her hand uncertainly. "Nice to meet you."

He was timid and polite. Alice instantly liked him. She smiled.

"I am Neville's grandmother," the lady said, introducing herself. She drew close to Alice, making her flinch a bit. "Your mother and my daughter-in-law were close friends. You have the same name as her, you know. Bound to be a powerful witch too, unlike Neville. Clearly you have much of Lily in you. Neville's got absolutely _none_ of his father in him."

Alice felt a wave of pity for Neville, who looked as though he wanted to melt into the cobblestone street. "I don't know any magic yet," she said, "so I don't know if I'll be any good at it either."

Neville brightened up at that.

Before his grandmother could get another word in, Severus interrupted. "I am sorry, Augusta, but we were just on the way to get a wand for Alice."

Alice was excited to make a new friend and did not want Neville to leave just yet, though.

"Would you like to come with us? We can get our wands together - if you haven't already gotten yours," she said in a rush.

Neville reached into his robes and pulled out a dark wooden wand. "It's my father's old wand," he said quietly.

Alice looked at it admiringly. "It's beautiful," she said.

Severus eyed the wand critically. "It is best not to get wands second-hand. It could seriously impede one's magical education," he said. "The wand has to _choose_ you in order for it to work for you, Mr. Longbottom."

"You should come with us, then," Alice said. She took his hand. "Can he come, Mrs. Longbottom?" She looked up at the old woman imploringly, emerald eyes brimming with hope.

The woman opened her mouth as if to refuse, but then caved in seeing Alice's expression. "Oh, I suppose."

Severus sighed. Of course this day would not go as he had planned. Now he had to deal with _two_ eleven-year-olds instead of one. Although he had to admit Alice looked happy to be with someone her age.

Maybe he could ask Augusta if Alice could come over to visit Neville before the school year began.

As for Neville, he looked shocked that his gran's mind had been changed. Alice tugged at his hand gently. "It's all right," she said softly, just to him. "I don't know if I'll be any good at magic either. We'll just have to work hard together."

At that, the timid boy looked up with surprise.

A root of hope planted itself in his heart as well.

He gave Alice an uncertain smile and the two headed into Ollivander's to get their new wands.


	3. The Wand Chooses the Wizard

**Author's note:** I am so sorry if it seems like I abandoned this story. It was always on my mind. I wanted to take some time to make sure I had a clear vision of where this story was going. Thank you once again to everyone who reviewed. Special shout out to Lady Rebell-K. I also dislike character bashing. And I hope to explore the nature of Alice's abuse and the definitely profound effects it will have on her as the story unfolds.

 **The Wand Chooses the Wizard**

" _The wand has to choose you in order for it to work with you..."_

The professor's words were ringing in Alice's ears when she and Neville stepped into Ollivander's. On the outside, it looked quite plain with black peeling paint and a single wand lying on an old purple cushion in the display window.

On the inside, however, Alice thought it was amazing. There were tall shelves that spanned from the floor to the ceiling, and all were crammed full of thin dusty boxes. Sunlight streamed in through the window, making specks of dust floating in the air appear golden.

Alice felt warmth cloak her shoulders as soon as she crossed the threshold. A swelling feeling of - _something -_ filled her up. She lightly squeezed Neville's hand. "Did you feel that?" she whispered to him.

Somehow it felt right to whisper in such a place. Neville looked at her and nodded.

The adults sat themselves down in black wooden chairs that were against the wall. Severus tried not to look amused at the children's wonder and their solemn hushed tones. He himself had felt the very same way when he had first entered Ollivander's.

There was a counter and behind it were rows and rows of even more shelves full of wands. Alice and Neville stepped forward together, unsure of what to do next.

"Miss Potter and Mr. Longbottom," a voice from somewhere behind the counter said, startling them. "I have been expecting you." An old man materialized out of the shadows from behind the counter. His eyes were a pale blue and his hair silver.

He then glanced over at the adults sitting in the back. "Ah, Augusta. Yes, elm, twelve inches, unyielding. I trust you are here to get a wand for young Neville?" His eyes bored into hers unblinkingly.

Augusta drew herself up in her chair. "He has his father's wand," she said, "but it became clear to me it would never work for him." As she said this, she peered down disapprovingly at Neville.

The man looked scandalized at the very thought. "Of course it would wand chooses the wizard! May I see your wand, Mr. Longbottom?"

Neville handed over the beautiful dark coloured wand. Ollivander began murmuring under his breath. "Yes, yes... cherry, dragon heartstring, thirteen inches..." He gazed at Neville. "This wand is a terrible match. Let us try something else. Perhaps..."

And he was off, talking to himself and searching amongst the narrow boxes. When he came back, his pale eyes were gleaming. "Try this one," he said. "Give it a wave."

This one was a light coloured wood, and not quite as long. It had intricate carvings on the handle. As soon as Neville touched it, a wind rustled around him. His robes billowed. He waved it, and a shower of golden sparks lit up the room.

The old wandmaker looked quite pleased. "Willow, eleven-and-a-half inches, dragon heartstring," he said. "Quite an uncommon wood. As it is said, _he who has furthest to travel will go fastest with willow_. Good wand for healing and charm work."

Augusta was looking at her grandson's new wand disapprovingly. Neville, on the hand, was looking down at the wand in his hand in awe, not quite believing he had just produced something so clearly magical.

Alice decided to speak up. "Sir, what do you mean when you say the wand chooses the wizard?" she asked. Ollivander peered at her.

"Not many ask that question, Miss Potter," he said. "No two wands are the same. Each is unique. Even two wands made of the same wood may have come from a different tree. One might have come from the branches and one from the trunk. The core is always taken from a magical beast, and just as no phoenix, dragon, or unicorn are alike, no wand is alike. These things all make each wand respond to a slightly different magical frequency. A wand will choose just the right the witch or wizard who uniquely suites it. " As he said this, he looked at Neville.

Perhaps it was because Alice was only eleven, but it did not strike her strange at all that the old wandmaker spoke of wands as though they had minds of their own.

She smiled kindly at Neville. "See?" she said. "You just needed the right wand. I bet my mum's wand wouldn't work for me either - or my dad's."

Neville nodded and held his wand reverently. It was a whole different matter knowing that this wand _chose_ him.

Augusta did not seem so convinced. "It's a shame Frank's wand will have to go unused when it is such a fine wand," she said. "Wands aren't the same when they aren't used anymore."

Severus thought about this. "The boy can still keep it. It is always useful to have a second wand at the ready when engaged in a duel," he said.

Augusta seemed to see the benefit in this. Soon Neville had purchased a new wand and two wand holsters (at Alice's urging).

"Mr. Ollivander, sir, how does a wand _choose_ somebody?" Alice asked curiously as the wandmaker began assessing what wands to give her to try.

The man blinked, jolted - and quite pleased - by the child's curiosity. "You may call me Garrick," he said, waving his hand dismissively. "Are you familiar with what magic fundamentally _is,_ Miss Potter?"

Alice shook her head. "It feels warm," she said uncertainly.

Garrick nodded. "Very perceptive," he said. "Magic is essentially just another part of nature that can be felt and used, but is imperceptible and intangible to muggles. Magic has a certain frequency. Witches and wizards are able to attune themselves to this frequency. Of course, there are different kind of magics, and some witches and wizards will find they are better attuned to those. Just so, every wand must be attuned to the magical frequency of its owner. It will not respond well to a master whose frequency does not match. Some wands choose masters whose frequency is the very same as its own. Others like to choose masters whose frequency is perfectly _complementary_."

"Like music," Alice said, absorbing all of this information.

The wandmaker seemed very pleased indeed. "Yes. You can think of it like finely tuning an instrument," he said.

Severus was beginning to wonder if the Girl-Who-Lived would be in Ravenclaw with all of the curiosity she was showing. _She is certainly perceptive - much more like Lily._ He had always thought Lily could have done well in Ravenclaw.

"Now let us find you a wand, Miss Potter," Garrick said, interrupting Severus's thoughts. "Let's see... perhaps larch, eleven inches..."

As it turned out, the wandmaker had his job cut out for him. The first couple wands Alice tried caused destructive things around the store to happen. She was starting to feel slightly nervous. Neville, who had begun to feel fiercely loyal to her, said, "You'll find one. It just has to be the right wand."

The first one that didn't cause a violent reaction was a willow wand with a unicorn hair core. But...

"It doesn't feel right," she said, puzzled. It felt rather like putting your shoe on the wrong foot.

Ollivander gave her a curious look when she said that. "Don't worry, miss Potter, we'll find just the one." He then went back into the shadows for a moment, and Alice could hear him murmuring, "I wonder..."

"Willow and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple," he said, his eyes burning into hers. "Give it a wave."

She didn't have to. As soon as her fingers touched it, warmth enveloped her and that - _something_ \- inside her filled her up and she felt so wonderfully happy. She smiled. Unbeknownst to her, everyone in the room was staring at her in wonderment.

For a second - just a second - she looked as though she was _shining_.

Then she gave it a wave, and an array of golden sparks cascaded from the tip.

Garrick was thrilled. He applauded. "Yes! Wonderful! A perfect match!" he exclaimed. "I have not seen such a match in ages. Very curious though, Miss Potter, very curious indeed," he said. As Severus paid seven galleons for the wand, Ollivander kept murmuring, "Curious, very curious..." He kept glancing at Alice and her wand as though the pair were an interesting puzzle.

"What's curious?" Alice asked finally after Severus had paid for her wand and it was safely stored in her wand holster. Severus was glad she asked. If she hadn't, he would have to shut the insufferable man and his dramatics up.

Ollivander stroked his chin. "It is very curious that this wand would choose you when its brother gave you that scar," he said.

"Voldemort," Alice breathed. At the mention of the name, everyone in the room flinched.

As for Severus, he felt a certain amount of dread. He had hoped the child would not have to deal with any more connections with the man who had killed her parents. _Why this? Why now?_ He had the nagging feeling Albus would be unsurprised to hear this information. The old man was always saying the Dark Lord was not dead and would be back again. The war was not yet over. He shuddered inside.

"I remember every wand I have sold, Miss Potter," Ollivander continued. "Every single one. The phoenix whose feather resides in your wand gave only one other feather - in the wand of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named." His face was solemn. "I think we can expect great things from you, Miss Potter. After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things. Terrible, yes, but great."

Everyone in the room was silent, letting these facts sink in. Ollivander shifted his gaze to Neville. "Of course, it is also curious that both of you children have an affinity for willow wands. As it so happens - yes, I am just now remembering - I made those two wands from the very same branch. I think we can expect great things from _both_ of you," he said.

Alice turned excitedly to Neville. "Our wands are like siblings," she said. "It's like we were _meant_ to meet," she said, smiling.

Severus, who was growing impatient, decided to speak up. "I think it is time for us to move on," he said.

Augusta stood up from her seat, leaning on her cane. "We are also done shopping. I think it is time to head home. Come along, Neville."

Alice did not seem happy at the prospect of her new-found friend leaving. "If it would be all right, perhaps we could arrange for the two to meet again sometime before the start of the school year?" Severus suggested.

Alice brightened up at that. Augusta weighed it in her mind and then nodded. Yes, it would be good for her grandson to meet with someone so important as Alice Potter. And he was always much too shy for his own good. "That would be agreeable," she said. "You may owl us a date."

The two parties left the shop and parted ways. Alice waved goodbye to Neville and they promised to write each other.

Alone again in the shop, the old wandmaker thought about the two children he'd just met. Willow was a curious wand wood. It often chose those who had some amount of insecurity and limitless potential. _Those two will grow to become something amazing_ , he thought. He smiled to himself and then went back to work as the door to Ollivander's opened once more.

-x-

Once Severus and Alice were alone again, Severus decided to take them to eat. It was getting late, and he did not feel like cooking dinner for two at home.

He ordered shepherd's pie for the both of them. He took their time together as a chance to prepare her for her time at Hogwarts. He did not want her to feel as lost as muggleborn children. It could be detrimental to her experience, he thought to himself.

"Once you get to Hogwarts, you will be Sorted into one of four Houses: Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, and Gryffindor," he began.

"Houses?"

Severus nodded and then launched into his explanation. "Yes. The founders of Hogwarts were four talented witches and wizards. Salazar Slytherin taught those who were ambitious and cunning. Rowena Ravenclaw preferred students who were intelligent and curious. Godric Gryffindor taught students who he felt were courageous and noble, and Helga Hufflepuff decided she would teach anyone who was willing to work hard and learn magic."

Alice smiled at the last one. "She seems nice," she said. "All the other ones chose people based on what they liked. But she chose people based on how much they wanted to learn."

Severus was pleased the girl did not automatically seem drawn towards Gryffindor. "That is a very good observation," he said. "Some witches and wizards have ideas about which house is the best or which is the worst. However, no house is better or worse than any other. They each have their own strengths and weaknesses."

Alice nodded solemnly. "It's not fair to assume someone is bad just because of their House," she said.

 _A sense of justice. Just like Lily..._ Being the Potter child's caregiver was turning out to be more rewarding than he had initially thought.

"Which house were you in?" she asked, curious.

Severus sipped at his drink. "Slytherin," he answered. "I am actually the current Slytherin Head of House. Once you are Sorted, you will also get your own Head of House. They will serve as a guide to you during your time here. Should problems with your fellow housemates come up, they are who you should go to for help." Instead of focusing on his own past, he decided to use the moment to provide Alice with more helpful information.

She seemed to soak this up. "Mmm," she hummed, contemplating this information. "Maybe I should be a Slytherin," she said. "Then you could be my Head of House."

At first Severus did not know how to respond to this. His mouth opened, but no sound came out. He settled for, "Hmm. We shall have to see."

"Does Hogwarts have a class where you learn how to make wands?" Alice asked, taking her wand out of its holster and looking at it with much admiration.

Severus thought about this for a moment. Hogwarts did not but... "It is not one of the main courses offered," he said. "However, you can ask your Head of House should you desire to pursue an independent study starting in your third year."

Alice seemed satisfied with this, and the two finished the rest of their meal in companionable silence.

He paid for their food and then the two were off, apparating back to Privet Drive so that Alice could get her belongings. She did not have much thanks to her horrid relatives, so it was not long before the two were standing on the streets of Cokesworth in front of Severus's newly-charmed green townhouse in the setting sun. With a feeling of nervousness that he could not seem to shake, he opened the front door. "It's a drab place," he said. "Why you believe that staying here with me is a good idea is beyond me." They stepped inside.

His heart was warmed when he was met with sparkling eyes and a smile.

"It is wonderful," Alice said, not scurrying around like a hooligan, but taking everything in with her eyes.

 _Perhaps this was not such a bad idea_ , Severus thought idly.

Not that he would tell Albus.

-x-

A pretty young woman wearing gauzy blue robes, unbeknownst to the world, was leaning over a rickety desk in her one bedroom flat. Her hands were dry from washing her hands so many times due to coming into contact with potions ingredients. She was currently engrossed in an article. It was quite interesting - simple and elegant. Very well thought out, in her opinion.

 _The amplifying effect of chamomile when used in potions designed to promote healing_ by Severus T. Snape.

 _Interesting_ , she thought. She pulled out her quill and parchment and quickly wrote down the ideas flooding her mind.

 _No use getting excited, Elanor. You know you won't be able to get published anytime soon. The magical community still doesn't respect squibs all that much._

 _... Still, this article is fascinating._

A great horned owl at the window interrupted her thoughts. "Altair, what are you doing here? Does Ben need my help again?" she asked aloud. She took the envelope the owl was holding from it and stroked its feathers. It hooted at her affectionately. She opened the letter and scanned its contents.

 _E. Fawley:_

 _Please be at the store tomorrow at 8:00AM. I apologise for the inconvenience. An important matter has come up and I cannot be there to mind the shop. You will be paid for the overtime._

 _Sincerely,_

 _B. Price_

Elanor sighed. Her potions experimenting would have to wait another day. She had already worked overtime this week and tomorrow was supposed to have been her day off. She stretched. It was getting late. She would need to be getting to bed soon to get a good night's sleep.

 _Ben,_

 _You do not need to be so formal with me. Please take care tomorrow. I will take care of the shop._

 _Love,_

 _Elanor._

"You can take this to Ben," she told the owl. "Thank you for delivering his letter to me. Fly safely." Altair hooted again before flying away.

The cold and formal way her own cousin communicated to her never went unnoticed. She tried to put as much warmth in her letter as possible. Even if her family tried to keep their distance from her, they were still family after all.

-x-

Alice could not believe she would be staying _here_ for the rest of the summer. With the professor, no less.

She could not understand it when he said the place was drab. She thought it was anything but. It was far more appealing to her than the pristine and lifeless place that was number 4 Privet Drive.

The walls were light. It was a small narrow kind of place with lots of quirks, but to Alice, that gave it character. They were currently standing in the entryway. Up against the wall to their right was a large window with a comfortable looking chair in front of it. A worn carpet was underneath of it. Another comfortable chair sat on the opposite side of the room.

The kitchen was in a corner. It was small, but serviceable. There was a small little table up against the wall where she assumed meals were eaten. Down the hallway there was a door to the left and then a set of stairs to her right leading up to somewhere. There was also a door at the far end of the hallway that was left open. She could see a bed in it and a nightstand. She assumed that was where the professor slept.

"This is the door to my potions lab," Severus explained, gesturing to the door to the left. "You are not go into this room without my explicit permission. Is that clear?" He gave her a stern look. The thought of an eleven year old running around unsupervised in a room full of potentially explosive ingredients was enough to give him a headache.

"Yes, sir," she said. Alice did not mind. She was used to following rules. That rule would not be hard to follow.

"Down the hallway is where I will sleep. If you need anything at night, that is where you will find me," he said. He then turned his gaze to the stairway. "Up here is where you will sleep," he said. He started up the steep and narrow steps.

Alice followed, her excitement building with every step.

When they got to the top, she could not believe her eyes.

"It is not much," Severus said, "but unlike your relatives, I thought it was time you had something more than a _cupboard_." He said the last word with clear distaste, expressing his hatred towards the her relatives. Particularly Petunia.

The vaulted ceiling above was painted a clean white. Exposed old wooden beams ran across it, which Alice rather liked. The walls were painted a light sunny yellow. There was a window towards the back and up against it was a twin sized bed with an old quilt lying atop it. The curtains around the window were light blue.

"You have your own bathroom," he said, gesturing towards a short white door to the right. "It is small, but it has a shower and a toilet. I hope you will find it adequate."

For some reason that she could not quite articulate at the age of eleven, tears formed in her eyes and soon spilled over onto her cheeks. She looked up at the professor. "Thank you," she said. "I've never... I've never had a room."

Of course, it was far more than just the room that was causing her to tear up, and Severus knew it.

 _Damn relatives._

He placed a hand on her shoulder. She startled and looked up at him. It had been such a long time since someone had touched her in a way that was not to hurt her in some way. She was so used to it, in fact, that she reacted to someone's touch rather like most would react to touching a hot stove.

 _That is concerning,_ he thought. He would like to use legilimency to get a better idea of the abuses the child suffered under the hand of her relatives. Still, it didn't feel right to do any more than a cursory scan without asking...

He knelt down. "In the wizarding world, there are some who have mastered the ability to see into the minds of others," he said. "It is a branch of magic called legilimency."

Alice wiped her eyes.

"As it so happens, I am a highly skilled legilimens," he said.

So the professor _could_ read minds after all. Somehow, this did not surprise Alice at all. It was beginning to seem as though he could do everything.

Severus made his voice as gentle as possible. "With your permission, I would like to see memories, so I can know how your relatives treated you," he said.

Alice's chest and throat felt tight at these words. His eyes and his words were so gentle and so nice. Even his tough was gentle. Surprisingly so. That made her want to cry more for some reason.

But somehow she was scared of him seeing her memories. She didn't like to think back on them either. Some of them, she preferred to keep away, far away in her mind.

Like that one -

 _Shivering in her cupboard, hoping and praying not today, not today, not today..._

 _Fear gripped her heart as she saw a shadow moving through the crack in the door -_

She violently shoved the memory away. She was so good at not thinking about it sometimes that the memories almost felt foreign to her. She had gotten rather good over the years at compartmentalizing the different parts of her life.

Severus did not need to use legilimency to see that Alice was scared of his proposition. "Perhaps not tonight," he said softly. "It's been a long day. I think it is time we both get some rest. I trust you can see yourself to bed."

Alice nodded, not trusting her voice. Her throat was still tight.

Severus walked out of the room. "Goodnight, Alice," he said, and then closed the door.


End file.
